Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has reached out to taxi-aggregator platforms to operate feeder services from metro stations in order to provide the much-needed first- and last-mile connectivity to commuters from 22 stations on the Aluva-Pettah corridor.
A couple of rounds of talks later, the firms have agreed to respond by the month-end after working out a tentative plan. Similar systems are there in many other metro networks in the country, where the aggregator platforms have kiosks at metro stations. The introduction in Kochi suffered delay due to the pandemic-induced stalemate and what could be opposition from operators of other modes of public commute, said official sources. Such ventures would reduce the demand for parking in metro stations and bring down traffic congestion in the city.
Stakeholders are also considering the aggregation of bicycles, which could be rented out to commuters, it is learnt. This comes in the wake of the inability to make optimal use of bicycles that were procured using Cochin Smart Mission Limited (CSML) funds. The metro agency is also working with an NGO to get a few thousand bicycles, which could be availed on rent by commuters.
All this is being envisaged on the lines of Bengaluru and Hyderabad metro models. KMRL has already tied up with a firm to provide two-wheelers on rent from its M.G. Road station.
The Kochi Metropolitan Transport Authority (KMTA) too is learnt to be fine-tuning its Yatri app launched in 2021. The app would be relaunched in a month, said sources. The app enables taxi car services, with operators not needing to set apart a portion of their revenue as commission.
